By most accounts, the United States has had the largest and most powerful navy in the world since World War II. But based on at least one metric, that is no longer the case. China has a larger fleet, based on the total number of ships. When taking into account size and strength, the United States might still be in the lead. The U.S. has the world’s largest warships — American aircraft carriers. The Chinese navy has put out carriers of their own, with two afloat and at least one more being built. (These are the six nations besides the United States with aircraft carriers.)
The older of the two classes is the Nimitz-class carrier, named after World War II Pacific fleet admiral Chester Nimitz. Starting in 1975, the Navy commissioned 10 carriers in this class. They are 1,092 feet long and displace 100,000 long tons. They have a maximum speed of 30 knots, and their engines can produce 260,000 shaft horsepower. Each has a crew of about 6,000. The cost for each carrier was approximately $9 billion. (These are the states with the most veterans.)
The Nimitz-class carriers are being replaced by the Gerald R. Ford-class carriers. The Navy plans to have 10 of these eventually. Each is 1,092 feet long and has a displacement similar to Nimitz-class ships. The cost of these new carriers will be about $12 billion per ship. Each will have a crew of approximately 4,000. The first four carriers in the class have already been named: Gerald R. Ford (commissioned 2017), John F. Kennedy (scheduled for 2024), Enterprise (scheduled for 2028), and Doris Miller (scheduled for 2032).
The Navy has discovered a number of problems with the early Ford-class construction. According to the Congressional Research Service, “In addition to challenges in building, testing, and certifying the ship’s weapon elevators, the Navy reportedly has been working to address problems with other systems on the ship, including its propulsion and electrical systems.”
The largest warships behind the two U.S. carrier classes are carriers from China, Russia, and France. (These are America’s largest military bases around the world.)
To identify the world’s largest warships, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the length of warships from around the world from Military Machine. Ship class, name, and country of origin are also from Military Machine.
Click here to see the world’s largest warship
11. Izumo-Class Helicopter Destroyer
> Country: Japan
> Length (in feet): 814
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10. Kirov-class Cruiser
> Country: Russia
> Length (in feet): 827
9. Wasp-Class Amphibious Assault ship
> Country: United States
> Length (in feet): 843
8. America-Class Amphibious Assault Ship
> Country: United States
> Length (in feet): 844
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7. Charles De Gaulle-Class Aircraft Carrier
> Country: France
> Length (in feet): 858
6. Clemenceau-Class Aircraft Carrier
> Country: France
> Length (in feet): 869
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5. Indian-Modified Kiev-Class Carrier
> Country: India
> Length (in feet): 896
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4. Chinese Completed Kuznetsov-Class Aircraft Carrier
> Country: China
> Length (in feet): 999
3. Kuznetsov-Class Carrier
> Country: Russia
> Length (in feet): 1,001
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2. Nimitz-Class Aircraft Carrier
> Country: United States
> Length (in feet): 1,092
1. Ford-Class Aircraft Carrier
> Country: United States
> Length (in feet): 1,092
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